St. John's: "The Godfather" "One of us": College hoops fans react as St. John's Rick Pitino adds to historic season with Big East Coach of the Year win

"The Godfather" "One of us": College hoops fans react as St. John's Rick Pitino adds to historic season with Big East Coach of the Year win

By Lindsey Ware

Modified Mar 12, 2025 19:52 GMT

NCAA Basketball: Seton Hall at St. John - Source: Imagn

The Big East has announced its conference awards, with St. John's head coach Rick Pitino earning the Big East Coach of the Year honor.

In his second season with the Red Storm, Pitino has guided them to a 27-4 record, including 18-2 in conference to finish atop the Big East. No. 6-ranked St. John's is projected to be a three-seed in the NCAA Tournament after missing the tournament last season.

The St. John's men's basketball team shared Pitino's latest accolade on X, Wednesday.

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College basketball fans eagerly reacted to the news. Many showed their praise for the veteran coach.

"The Godfather."

"One of us🍀"

Others took to calling Pitino a legend or the GOAT (Greatest of All Time).

"Congrats legend!!!🍀💚🍀💚🍀💚"

A reply congratulates Pitino on his award

"Absolute legend."

"Goat"

"🐐"

An X user uses the goat emoji to describe Pitino

Fans also used the replies to say Pitino's accolade is well deserved.

"Well deserved🫡"

A fan calls Pitino's award well deserved

"Well deserved!!"

Another reply says Pitino's award was well deserved

"We are truly blessed that you are a part of our history💚Well deserved Coach🍀"

A St. John's fan celebrates Pitino's award

Rick Pitino's St. John's Team's Season

St. John's opened the season unranked after finishing its first season under Pitino's guidance with a 20-13 record. Rick Pitino's team quickly proved its potential this year, opening the season with four straight wins. By Week 2, the Red Storm had made a big enough impact to enter the AP Top 25.

Pitino's squad excelled in nonconference play and has dominated in the Big East this season. St. John's opened conference play with three straight wins before narrowly losing to Creighton by a single point on New Year's Eve. It was one of only two Big East defeats for the Red Storm this season.

Syndication: Journal Sentinel - Source: Imagn

St. John's went undefeated throughout January before suffering its second conference loss to Villanova on Feb. 12, a narrow 73-71 defeat. Pitino's squad closed out the regular season with six consecutive wins.

Now, the Red Storm looks ahead to March Madness. entering the Big East Tournament as the top seed and projected to be a three-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Pitino has led his team to greatness this season and fans sing his praises after his Big East Coach of the Year award.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Alvin Amansec